Property policy leads to divorce boom in SW China

Property policy leads to divorce boom in SW China

 GUIYANG, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- A property policy issued by a district government in southwest China's Guizhou Province has led to a divorce boom among local villagers.

The number of couples filing for divorce each day in Yunyan District, Guiyang City, capital of Guizhou, has increased five-fold since a property policy went into effect in October.

The policy stipulates¹ that a local household can apply for land area of no more than 130 square meters and a total floor area not exceeding 240 square meters for housing construction.

The policy is part of local authorities' attempts to curb² rampant³ illegal housing construction, but it has resulted in a marked increase in the divorce rate.

However, many newly-divorced couples will remarry their original spouse⁴ later, as the scheme is meant to double the property area they can own.

Newlyweds and even couples in their 90s have jumped on the divorce bandwagon to take advantage of the policy loophole, forcing the district government to open more office windows to handle waves of applications.

A just-divorced couple said they did not really want to divorce.

"Our marriage is fine, but divorce is the only way to get the extra property. We cannot find a better way," they said.

The situation in Yunyan has aroused concern among netizens, who are leaving thousands of comments on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter-like microblogging service.

"It is the loophole that forced people to resort to the inappropriate ways," wrote netizen "ONLY_MR."

"I think the local government should improve its policy-making ability, and citizens should be better educated on marriage and divorce," wrote blogger "Yegenglan."

Authorities said the upsurge in divorce cases has exceeded expectations.

It's not the first time that such a thing has happened in China, though. Similar cases were reported in Shanghai a few years ago, when the municipal government limited new apartment purchases to one per family. Many couples planned to dodge⁵ the rule through fake divorces, and some even turned to companies selling bogus certificates for a phony divorce certificate in order to buy more new apartments.

"The government should be more open and precise when making public policies," said Zhou Xiaozheng, a sociology professor at Renmin University of China. "It should hold more public hearings and solicit⁶ advice from experts and the general public."

"There's nothing wrong with people wanting to maximize their interests, but the government needs to make sure that the policy has no loopholes," he added.

Wang Zhongwu, a sociology professor at Shandong University, voiced concerns about the negative effects of the "fake divorces."

"What if those 'fake divorces' turn real?" Wang said.

"'Fake divorce' does not violate the law, but it's against traditional Chinese values. Improper⁷ public policies might drive people away from traditional values," he added.

1 stipulates   

n.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的名词复数 )；规定，明确要求v.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的第三人称单数 )；规定，明确要求

参考例句：

• The trade contract stipulates for the settlement of balances in RMB. 贸易合同规定余额以人民币结算。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The contract stipulates for the use of seasoned timber. 合同上订明用干透的木料。 来自辞典例句

2 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

3 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

4 spouse   

n.配偶(指夫或妻)

参考例句：

• Her spouse will come to see her on Sunday.她的丈夫星期天要来看她。
• What is the best way to keep your spouse happy in the marriage?在婚姻中保持配偶幸福的最好方法是什么？

5 dodge   

v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计

参考例句：

• A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪，才没被车从身上辗过。
• The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。

6 solicit   

vi.勾引；乞求；vt.请求，乞求；招揽(生意)

参考例句：

• Beggars are not allowed to solicit in public places.乞丐不得在公共场所乞讨。
• We should often solicit opinions from the masses.我们应该经常征求群众意见。

7 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。